PARTICIPATE IN CRISS ANGEL’S NAKED ESCAPE
Criss Angel naked? Curious? Want to see? Be at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Pioche, NV as Criss attempts to escape before you get to him.

Bring your birthday suit…
Date: Tuesday, April 3
Time: 4:00PM
Where: Lincoln County Courthouse, Lacour St., Pioche Nevada 89043

The family of Harry Houdini is requesting the body of Harry Houdini the world’s most famous illusionist be exhumed to examine it for evidence that his death was not accidental.

“It needs to be looked at,” George Hardeen told The Associated Press. “His death shocked the entire nation, if not the world. Now, maybe it’s time to take a second look.”

Houdini’s family scheduled a news conference for Friday to give details on the plans. Prominent New York lawyer Joseph Tacopina is helping clear any legal hurdles to the exhumation.

A team of top forensic investigators would conduct new tests on Houdini’s body, said Hardeen, whose grandfather was Houdini’s brother.

The circumstances surrounding Houdini’s sudden death are as murky as the rivers where he often escaped from chains, locks and wooden boxes.

The generally accepted version was that Houdini, 52, suffered a ruptured appendix from a punch in the stomach, leading to a fatal case of peritonitis. But no autopsy was performed.

When the death certificate was filed on Nov. 20, 1926, Houdini’s body — brought by train from Detroit to Manhattan — had already been buried in Queens, along with any evidence of a possible death plot.

Within days, a newspaper headline wondered, “Was Houdini Murdered?”

Source: Associated Press

SCI FI Channel announced that it is developing a series around British “mentalist” Derren Brown, described as “part James Bond, part Yoda.” With numerous top-rated series and specials to his credit, Brown has amazed U.K. television audiences. SCI FI’s original U.S.-produced version of the tentatively titled Derren Brown Project will consist of six one-hour episodes. Andrew O’Conner and Michael Vine will serve as executive producers for Objective Productions. SCI FI made the announcement at its upfront press event in New York on March 21.

Brown is described as a man who can inspire people to rob an armored car or freely give up their car keys and wallet to a stranger on the street simply by asking. The British press has called him “mind-blowing,” “fascinating” and “a warlock.” He doesn’t claim to be a mind reader, though he appears to predict and control human behavior. He describes his craft as a mixture of suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship.

Source: SCIFI.com

Las Vegas, NV – March 23, 2007 /PRNewswire/ — Cirque du Soleil and Luxor today announced a new show featuring Criss Angel, directed by Cirque du Soleil, set to open Summer 2008 at Luxor Resort and Casino.

Always on the lookout for the next artistic challenge, Cirque du Soleil is working with Criss to fuse his revolutionary illusions and mind-blowing artistry with acrobatics, dance, puppetry, music and poetry to tell a story, taking audiences on a bizarre and fascinating journey.

Read More

I’ve seen the Cirque du Soleil Mystere and “O”; both of them we’re very good but both made me drowsy during the show. Criss Angel Cirque du Soleil does sound more exciting.

Is this going to be a Criss Angel Magic Show with a lot more assistants?

Transporting Card Trick

Effect: Tell the spectator you’re going to do a “memory test”.  Show him a card, flip it back over and hand it to him tell him to try to remember the card.

You then show him what your card is and ask him to remember that card also, flip it back over and hold the card in your other hand.

Ask him what his card was, you then reveal that you are holding the card he thought he was holding and he’s holding the card he thought you was holding.

Preparation:  To perform the Transporting Card Trick you will need a duplicate card. You place the cards in the following order.

5 of Clubs, 6 of clubs, 5 of Clubs, Rest of Deck

(Obviously you can use any cards you want)

Method: Do a double lift and show the 6 of clubs to the spectator. Place the card back over on top of the deck and have the spectator hold it in his hand.

Perform another double lift to show the 5 of clubs, ask the spectator to remember that card. Put it back on top of the deck and do a single lift to grab the 6 of clubs.

Ask the spectator which card he is holding. He’ll say it’s the 5 of Clubs, You then say “no.. I have the 6 of clubs; you have the 5 of clubs”

Have him flip over his hand and he will see the cards have magically switched places.

The clean up of the new Echelon Hotel & Casino site is expected to take up to two months.

The Stardust became famous for its stellar, 188-foot sign and marquee as its mob connections. The Strip institution was the inspiration for the 1995 movie “Casino,” in which Robert De Niro played a character inspired by Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, who ran the casino-hotel in the mid-1970s.

But as regulators cracked down on skimming in later years, Boyd was brought in as an operator in 1983 and bought the Stardust in 1985 when the owners lost their gambling license.
In the next two decades, the property’s luster began to fade. “Lido de Paris,” the showgirl extravaganza that starred illusionists Siegfried and Roy for more than a decade, wrapped up in 1991 after a 32-year run.

The Echelon should be opened sometime in 2010 with over 5,000 hotel rooms,a shopping mall, a production theater, concert venue and more than 1 million square feet of meeting space.

While we were hanging around waiting for the rest of the StreetMagicBlog.com members to show up to see the movie 300 we ran into an old friend named Athon.

So we show’d him a card trick.

So you want to learn to levitate? StreetMagicBlog.com reveals the top 3 levitation illusions.

1. The Balducci Levitation

2. King Rising Levitation

3. Sooperman Levitation

The Balducci Levitation is simple illusion that can be performed almost anywhere at anytime. If you would like to learn how to perform Balducci Levitation trick, like David Blaine does in his “Street Magic TV Show”.

Balducci Levitation Tip:

Be aware that this levitation illusion is a highly restrictive and angle sensitive illusion and you should practice your angles over and over; one bad angle or position and the levitation illusion is ruined!

Learn The David Blaine Balducci Levitation Trick

To perform the Balducci levitation you need to pretend to float off of the ground, while you tippee-toe on just one foot (the foot away from the audiences view).
The audience can’t see your supporting foot, because it’s hidden by three things:

1. Your pants
2. The angle of the trick
3. Your shoe thats is closest to them

The David Blaine Balducci Levitation Trick Steps

1. Stand with your back towards the spectator at a 45-degree angle to the person’s point of view.

2. Make your left foot perpendicular to the spectator while making your right foot making another 45-degree angle.

3. Use your hidden right toes to slowly push yourself up a few inches, keeping your heels together.

4. Hold the position for 2 or 3 seconds, then let yourself down quickly, avoiding sudden moves or shudders.

Balducci Levitation Trick Tip:

You should practice the Balducci levitation trick in front of a mirror or another person and remember If they see your right toes they will see how it’s done.

Try to be subtle when doing this. Don’t just say, “I’m going to levitate now.” Say something like “I’m going to try something. Watch my feet.”

Levitation Illusion Warning

Don’t go up too high or the spectators will see your other shoe not levitating

The magician is viewed from a side angel. The magician’s whole body is clearly visible. The magician will levitate a few inches above the ground. Both feet will be in the air.

Like the Balducci levitation the King Rising levitation is also impromptu.

King Rising Levitation Method

The magician stands at a side angle. Under cover by his coat or other object, the magician’s foot is slipped out of his shoe and positoned at a right angle to that shoe with the magician’s heel of the foot placed against the side of the magician’s shoe. With the right angles it is impossible to tell that your foot is not inside your shoe.

The magician’s weight is shifted to the leg and the empty shoe is pinched between the angled foot and the shoe closest to the audience.

The magician then tippee toes on one foot creating the illusion of a genuine levitation.

Sooperman is a levitation illusion created by Looy Simonoff. Sooperman levitation also goes by the name Wild Levitation.

Sooperman Levitation Effect

The audience views the magician from the front. The legs of the magician are obscured by his coat or a similar object. The magician’s shoes are visible and the magician then appears to rise and hover at least a 12 inches above the ground.

The Sooperman levitation allows the magician to perform the levitation for a larger group of spectators and appear to levitate considerably higher than the Balducci levitation while showing the front of both shoes.

However, the Sooperman levitation method requires the use of cover from your coat during the levitation illusion. Also, this levitation illusion is not impromptu because it uses a gimmick.

Sooperman Levitation Method

Once the magician’s legs are covered, the magician’s shoes are attached to one another using a bulldog clip or other similar gimmick device. This may be done under some misdirection such as straightening the coat. The magician’s foot is secretly slipped out of its shoe and positioned behind the shoes.

The Sooperman Levitation Trick Steps

1. Stand In front of the spectator or crowd

2. Cover the front of your legs with your coat and attach the bulldog or similar device

3. Slip out one of your feet and begin to tippee toe behind your shoe.

There are a few other levitations that aren’t impromptu which ill discuss another time.

We will be attending the 10:45PM showing of 300 in the Aventura Mall Movie Theatre. Come join us and will show you some amazing card tricks.

Place: All Around Aventura Mall Miami FL and the Aventura Mall Movie Theater
Who: Preston, Moisha, and Konstatin
Date: Saturday, March 09, 2007
Time: 6:30PM-1:00AM

Claymation version of Criss will be featured on Celebrity Deathmatch on MTV2
SEE CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH PREVIEW
Friday March 9th 10:30pm MTV2

The clay version of Criss Angel who shares half his body with Ludicriss creates Ludi-Criss Angel. Ludi-Criss Angel will take on R. Kelly Clarkson this friday on MTV2.